Vladimir Putin will not survive 10 years, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky claimed, shattering the notion that the war could drag on for 30 years.
Speaking to Brazil’s TV Globo, Zelensky was quick to dismiss claims that the conflict could lead to a debilitating war of attrition as long as Russia is in Syria.
He said, ‘You can’t. Putin will not live much longer. He didn’t fight in Syria at the rate he fights against us. That’s why he won’t last 30 years. He will not exist, he will die.
Zelensky predicted that a sick Putin, now 70, “will not survive another ten years.”
He said Putin’s forces realize “deep down” that they cannot win and that their plan to subjugate Ukraine is hopeless.
“All their actions on the battlefield indicate that today Russia is not able to completely occupy Ukraine and destroy us,” he said.
Speaking to Brazilian television, Zelensky said the war in Ukraine cannot continue as it did in Syria
He said that Vladimir Putin, who is now 70, could not survive another ten years
Zelensky claimed the war
As Russia reports on Ukrainian drones now smashing skyscrapers in Moscow, Zelensky said, “deep in their hearts, they all already realize that they can no longer do that. They can not.’
He said, “They were capable in the beginning. They thought they would.
“And we did something within the state and from the outside that allowed us to become stronger than them.”
He vowed that he and his generation would oppose any future bid by Russia to regroup and defeat Ukraine.
“As long as we live, let’s not let them get as strong as they were,” he said.
He said the long-running war in Syria was a tragedy, but Russia’s aggression in Ukraine was of a different order, noting the warning signs abroad.
“I don’t think the world has united around the Syrian tragedy. I believe it was a mistake.
And it’s always a big mistake when the world thinks the war is somewhere far away.
“I don’t think it’s my heroism that united the countries that help us today.
“No, I believe it’s every person in our state who has done something very important in their place at a very important time.
“This is both desire and chance.
“And our devotion is absolute devotion, freedom or death.”
Zelensky’s comments come as he is expected to attend an upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly to push through a 10-point peace formula.
Bloomberg reported yesterday that he is likely to participate in sessions at the UNGA meeting in September.
He plans to work out a “peace formula” calling on Russian troops to withdraw completely from Ukraine.
It would also aim at the release of all prisoners of war and deportees, and ensuring food and energy security.
Near the top of the agenda is the status of the occupied Zaporizhzhia power plant, which experts say is in danger of “catastrophizing” if it is caught up in fighting.
Ukraine has gained a foothold through its counter-offensive this year as a number of separate incursions have taken place on Russian soil, weakening the position of the invaders.
A tower block in Moscow housing seven ministries was attacked by drones in the early hours of the morning.
Explosions were reported in the building for the second time in two nights.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, although ambulances were on the scene.
It appears to be part of a wider trend of increasing attacks on Russian soil.
Ukrainian officials have refused to claim or deny responsibility for drone strikes on Russian territory.
But three drones used recently — according to a New York Times analysis — were Ukrainian made.
Putin won’t live much longer. He has not fought in Syria at the pace he is fighting against us,” he said
Zelensky (C) shakes hands with a wounded Ukrainian soldier in a military hospital during his working visit to Ivano-Frankivsk region, Western Ukraine
Ukrainian servicemen of the 35th Separate Marines Brigade attend a military exercise near a frontline, amid the Russian attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, July 31, 2023
In May, USA remembered Ukraine that military aid was for the defense of the country, not for launching raids into neighboring Belgorod.
National Security spokesman John Kirby said CNN on May 25: ‘We have been very clear that we want Ukraine to be able to defend its own soil, its own territory.’
He continued, “But we’ve also been clear, well, that we don’t want to see this war escalate beyond this, the devastation and violence already inflicted on the Ukrainian people.”
Separately, Russia faced internal clashes in late June, when its hired mercenaries from the Wagner Group appeared to mutini and turn to march on Moscow – before suddenly falling back.
Polls conducted by the Khroniki project suggest support for the war remains high in Russian regions closer to the front.
The national average remains as high as 60 percent.
Surveys by three independent polling stations, shared by the Wilson Center, show support for the war in Russia rise in spring 2022, fall as the invaders gain less ground in summer and fall, then rise again slightly in early 2023.
The Wilson Center noted limitations to the polls, however, as every third respondent said they were afraid to talk about their attitudes to the actions of the country’s leaders.
They noted that Russian loyalists were also more likely to be questioned than opponents of the regime.